Who We Are, How We Serve

The Columbia Union Conference coordinates the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s work in the Mid-Atlantic United States, where 140,000 members worship in 843 congregations. We provide administrative support to eight conferences; two healthcare networks; 100 early childhood, elementary and secondary schools; a liberal arts university; a health sciences college; a dozen community services centers; 5 book and health food stores and a radio station.

Mission Values Priorities

We Believe

God is love, power, and splendor—and God is a mystery. His ways are far beyond us, but He still reaches out to us. God is infinite yet intimate, three yet one,
all-knowing yet all-forgiving.

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A MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT DAVE WEIGLEY

We are living through an unprecedented time, and while we are not immune to the impact of the coronavirus, we know that we serve an almighty God who sees, who cares and who is an ever-present help in times of trouble. As we journey this crisis together, we are in contact with the leaders of our conferences and institutions, and we are united in our commitment to do all we can to reduce the spread of the virus and help people in our communities. Please join us in praying for an end to COVID-19, and for the health care givers, first responders and other frontline workers who are working tirelessly to save lives.

At this time, our office remains closed to the public, until further notice. Please reach out to members of our administrative and ministry teams, and we will respond as quickly as possible.

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President Dave Weigley

Pine Forge Academy Celebrates 70 Years

Rocky Twyman ('66) interviews Lynda Johnson Robb.

Story and photos by LaTasha Hewitt

In the 1940s, Elder John H. Wagner, Sr., former Allegheny Conference president, envisioned a boarding school in the North where African-American high school students could attend without the racial issues of schools in the South. After purchasing the 575-acre Rutter Estate near Pottstown, Pa., the conference opened Pine Forge Institute on September 9, 1946, with 90 students.

Last weekend the school, now Pine Forge Academy (PFA), celebrated Alumni Weekend and 70 years of existence during the weekend themed “Legacy of Excellence.”

Beltsville Church Launches Second Site

Story by Kermit Netteburg

More than 300 people attended the inaugural service of the Beltsville church’s second campus on Tech Road in Silver Spring, Md., this past Sabbath morning. The church now refers to the original Potomac Conference church in Beltsville, Md., as the the Ammendale campus and the new site as the Tech Road campus.

Organizers stopped counting at 305 people. “We just couldn’t keep track after that,” says Will Johns, associate pastor, who serves as the campus pastor for the Tech Road site. He added that more than half the people were not from the Ammendale campus. (The Ammendale campus will celebrate its 60th anniversary in two weeks, September 17.)

Vine Haven Fourth-Grader Hosts Bible Study, Leads Eight Children to Baptism

Story by Cristina Macena

It’s not just the adults at the Bridgeton Spanish church in Bridgeton giving weekly Bible studies to their neighbors.

Every week Jaffet Vazquez, a fourth-grader at Vine Haven Adventist School in Vineland, teaches the children that live on Walnut Street more about the Bible and his best friend, Jesus. His mother, Susana Vazquez, prayerfully went to every mother on the street and asked permission for their children to attend Bible studies at her home. Many said yes and about 13 children ages 5-10 meet at the Vazquez home weekly for Bible studies. Jaffet uses what he has learned in class from his teacher, Violeta Molina, and Pastor Raul Rivero, Bible class teacher, to share with his friends about God’s love and gift of salvation.